The invention relates to jewelry boxes and, more particularly, to a jewelry box having an attached segmented lid member which is both easily hidden from view and suitable for use as part of a display.
Jewelry has long been a traditional gift, particularly within the family or between those, while not members of the immediate family, who share a significant personal relationship. For example, wedding and engagement rings are oftentimes highly prized family possessions. Typically, an item of jewelry includes one or more jewels, for example, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds or the like, mounted in a setting formed of a precious metal such as gold or silver. Depending on the type, size and quality of the jewels used, the cost of a jewelry item may range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Simply put, the jewelry box is a container used to hold an article of jewelry which typically includes a precious gemstone. When purchased, the precious gemstone-type article of jewelry is placed in a jewelry box for storage, transport and, if purchased as a gift, presentation to the ultimate recipient. The most common jewelry box includes a body member having a slot or other aperture for receiving the precious gemstone-type article of jewelry and a lid member, pivotably hinged to the body member and movable between a closed position in which the precious gemstone-type article of jewelry is protectively covered by the lid member and an open position in which the precious gemstone-type article of jewelry is readily accessible. In the open position, the lid member is typically generally orthogonal to the body member and cannot be pivoted further without damaging the hinge mounting the lid member to the hinge member. One such jewelry box may be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,576 to Stephens.
Like many other jewelry box designers, Stephens further contemplates that the disclosed jewelry box may also be used for displaying a diamond ring or other item of jewelry. When used for display purposes, the jewelry box disclosed in Sanders would be placed on a counter, shelf or other display structure with the lid member pivoted into the open position to reveal the diamond ring or other item of jewelry. Other hinged boxes used to display jewelry or other items are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,043,450 to Rielly, 5,547,072 to Kaiser and Des. 385,781 to Levine et al.
Of the various gemstones used in precious gemstone-type articles of jewelry, the most popular is the diamond. Diamonds are measured in carats. While diamonds having a wide variety of carat weights are commercially available, diamonds which weigh a full carat or a simple fraction thereof, typically, xc2xc, xc2xd or xc2xe carat tend to be more popular with consumers. For example, an xe2x80x9cirregularxe2x80x9d weight diamond, for example, a 0.60 carat diamond, is often harder to sell than a xe2x80x9cregularxe2x80x9d weight diamond, for example, a xc2xd carat diamond of equal quality. In an attempt to increase the popularity of irregular weight diamonds, many such diamonds now come with a xe2x80x9cCertificate of Authenticityxe2x80x9d issued by a gemological institute, such as the International Gemological Institute (or xe2x80x9cIGIxe2x80x9d) or the Gemological Institute of America (or xe2x80x9cGIAxe2x80x9d). The Certificate of Authenticity often includes a description of the diamond ring or other jewelry item which includes one or more of the diamond""s carat weight, estimated retail replacement value and a photograph of the diamond ring or other jewelry item itself. While receiving such a certificate with each diamond ring or other jewelry item purchased has considerable appeal to consumers, some complications have arisen in this practice.
One such complication relates to how the certificate should be provided to the purchaser. The various authenticating institutions have standardized the certificates to have a length of approximately 3xe2x85x9c inches and a height of approximately 2xe2x85x9 inches. The certificates are formed of a flexible plastic material that resists folding. While the dimensions of jewelry boxes have never been standardized, a common set of dimensions for a jewelry box designed to hold a diamond ring are approximately 2xe2x85x9 inches by 1xe2x85x9e inches. Since the certificate is larger than a typical jewelry box and cannot be folded, most certificates are provided to the consumer in a separate envelope. However, diamond rings and other jewelry items may spend several months xe2x80x9con-the-shelfxe2x80x9d with hundreds of other jewelry items before being sold. Maintaining the certificate for each of the jewelry items in a common file quickly becomes a time-intensive task. If, however, considerable time is not spent to keep the certificates in order, locating a specific certificate could take hours. Further complicating the task is that, unlike most other consumer goods, jewelry items are rarely marked with the name of the manufacture or a model or serial number. Thus, designing a filing system for the jewelry items which will enable any specified certificate to be readily located remains a difficult task.
The easiest solution has been to place the envelope containing the certificate describing a jewelry item under the jewelry box which holds the jewelry item being displayed. However, this solution has its own drawbacks. While the retailer can easily locate the certificate related to a specific item of jewelry, the certificate may easily be lost or otherwise disassociated from the diamond ring or other item of jewelry, particularly after a number of years have elapsed since the retail store initially took possession of the certificate. Furthermore, while being displayed, the placement of an envelope under the jewelry box for each item of jewelry offered for sale detracts tremendously from the otherwise elegant display case that typically holds such items when offered for sale.
Another solution has been to enlarge the jewelry box such that the certificate may be mounted in a lid member thereof. Rather than being hinged to the body member, for such jewelry boxes, the lid member is attached to the body member by a pair of arms, each of which is fixedly secured, on opposite ends thereof, to the body and lid members, respectively. To enhance the display of a diamond ring or other item of jewelry placed in the jewelry box, the arms are rotatable on both ends, thereby enabling the lid member to be opened and then pivoted underneath the body member into a display position. However, a drawback to such jewelry boxes is that the lid member tends to raise the body member an inch or so above the display surface, a feature that again tends to distract from the item of jewelry being displayed in the jewelry box. Thus, while functional, these rather cumbersome jewelry boxes are particularly inelegant. Furthermore, the certificate is not visible to the retail customer and, as a result, does not serve its intended function, that of contributing to the sale of the associated merchandise.
Finally, while not directed to jewelry boxes for simultaneously storing and/or displaying diamond rings or other items of jewelry and carrying a certificate of authenticity, the art has disclosed a variety of display cases having a lid member mounted to a body member thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,259 to Beaulieu discloses a portable display case formed in three sections and including hinging strips interconnecting the respective sections. Similar teachings may be found by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,120,394 to Soltes and 5,069,332 to Williams et al. In U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 275,530 and Des. 395,755, the respective interconnecting strips appear to sit across a rear side wall of the body member when the jewelry container and cosmetic case, respectively, are closed.
It is, therefore, the object of this invention to provide a jewelry box configured to carry a certificate of authenticity while enhancing the display of an item of jewelry carried thereby by enabling an attached segmented lid member thereof to selectively be hidden from view or incorporated into the display of the jewelry item, thus enabling the certificate of authenticity to form an integral element of a sales presentation when desired.
In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a jewelry box which includes a body member and a segmented lid member. The body member includes walls which collectively define an aperture for accessing an interior space thereof. The segmented lid member, on the other hand, includes a first part fixedly attached to the body member and a second part hingedly coupled to the first part. The segmented lid member is pivotable between first and second positions. In the first position, the second part of the segmented lid member covers the aperture to limit access to the interior space of the body member while, in the second position, the second part of the segmented lid is positioned to permit access to the interior space. In the second position, the second part of the segmented lid member engages at least one of the walls of the body member.
In one aspect of this embodiment of the invention, each wall of the body member and each part of the segmented lid member have inner and outer side surfaces. In this aspect, the outer side surface of the second part of the segmented lid member engages the outer side surface of at least one of the walls of the body member when the segmented lid member is in the second position.
In another aspect of this embodiment of the invention, the walls of the body member further comprises a first wall and both the first wall of the body member and the second part of the segmented lid member have inner and outer side surfaces. For this aspect, the outer side surface of the second part of the segmented lid member engages the outer side surface of the first wall of the body member when the segmented lid member is in the second position.
In still another aspect of this embodiment of the invention, the walls of the body member further comprises a first wall and both the first wall of the body member and each of the first and second parts of the segmented lid member have inner and outer side surfaces. The inner side surface of the first part of the segmented lid member is fixedly attached to the outer side surface of the first wall to fixedly attach the segmented lid member to the body member. In this aspect, the outer side surface of the second part of the segmented lid member engages the outer side surface of the first wall when the segmented lid member is in the second position.
In yet another aspect of this embodiment of the invention, the walls of the body member further comprises first and second walls and the segmented lid member further comprises a third part hingedly coupled to the second part. Each of the first and second walls of the body member and each of the first, second and third parts of the segmented lid member have inner and outer side surfaces. The inner side surface of the first part of the segmented lid member is fixedly attached to the outer side surface of the first wall of the body member to secure the segmented lid member to the body member. In this aspect, the second and third parts of the segmented lid member limit access to the interior space by covering the aperture when the segmented lid member is in the first position. Conversely, in the second position, the second and third parts of the segmented lid member are positioned to permit access to the interior space. In this position, the outer side surface of the second part of the segmented lid member engages the outer side surface of the first part of the segmented lid (which, in turn, is fixedly attached to the first wall of the body member) and the outer side surface of the third part of the segmented lid member engages the outer side surface of the second wall of the body member.
In still yet another aspect of this embodiment of the invention, the jewelry box further comprises an insert for supportably holding an item of jewelry. The insert is insertably received within the interior space of the body member and supported, within the interior space, by the walls of the body member.
In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a jewelry box which includes a body member and a segmented lid member. The body member includes walls which collectively define an aperture for accessing an interior space thereof and include first, second and third walls. The segmented lid member, on the other hand, includes a first part fixedly attached to the body member, a second part hingedly coupled to the first part, a third part hingedly attached to the second part and a fourth part hingedly attached to the third part. Each of the first, second and third walls of the body member and the first, second, third and fourth parts of the segmented lid member have inner and outer side surfaces. Of these, the inner side surface of the first part of the segmented lid member is fixedly attached to the outer side surface of the first wall of the body member to secure the segmented lid member to the body member.
In this embodiment, the segmented lid member is pivotable between first and second positions. In the first position, the second and third parts of the segmented lid member limit access to the interior space by covering the aperture when the segmented lid member is in the first position. The segmented lid member is secured in this position by insertion of the fourth part of the segmented lid member in a slot located between the insert and the inner side surface of the third wall of the body member. Conversely, in the second position, the outer side surfaces of the second, third and fourth parts of the segmented lid member engage the outer side surfaces of the first part of the segmented lid member, the second wall of the body member and the second wall of the body member, respectively, to permit access to the interior space.
For each aspect of these embodiments of the invention, the jewelry box may further comprise a sheath attached to the inner side surface of the second part of the segmented lid.
In still another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a jewelry box having a tray structure and a segmented lid member. A first part of the segmented lid member is secured to the tray structure and a second part of the segmented lid member is hingedly coupled to the first part. The segmented lid member is pivotable between first and second positions. In the first position, the second part of the segmented lid member blocks access to the interior area of the tray structure while, in the second position, the second part of the segmented lid member permits access to the interior area of the tray structure. Instead, in the second position, the segmented lid member engages the tray structure.
In one aspect thereof, the tray structure is comprised of bottom, front, first side, rear, and second side walls. The front, first side, rear, and second side walls are fixedly attached to the first side, rear side, second side, and rear and front side walls, respectively. Further, each of the front, first side, rear, and second side walls are fixedly attached to the bottom wall. In another aspect thereof, the second part of the segmented lid member includes inner and outer side surfaces. For this aspect of the invention, in the first position, the inner side surface of the second part of the segmented lid member engages the upper edge surfaces of the first side, rear and second side walls to cover the interior area of the tray structure.
In still yet another embodiment of the invention, the present invention is directed to a jewelry box having a bottom wall, a front wall, a first side wall, a rear wall, a second side wall and a segmented lid structure. The front, first side, rear, and second side walls are fixedly attached to the first side, rear side, second side, and rear and front side walls, respectively. Further, each of the front, first side, rear, and second side walls are fixedly attached to the bottom wall. Collectively, the bottom, front, first side, rear, and second side walls define a tray structure having an interior area. The segmented lid structure is attached to the tray structure and is pivotable between first and second positions. The segmented lid structure includes a first part, a second part hingedly coupled to the first part, a third part hingedly coupled to the second part and a fourth part hingedly coupled to the third part. Inner side surfaces of the first and second parts of the segmented lid structure are fixedly secured to outer side surfaces of the bottom and rear walls, respectively. In the first position, the inner side surface of the third part of the segmented lid structure engages the first side, rear and second side walls of the tray structure to cover a first portion of the interior area of the tray structure and the inner side surface of the third part of the segmented lid structure engages the first and second side walls of the tray structure to cover a second portion of the interior area of the tray structure. In the second position, the outer side surface of the third part of the segmented lid structure engages the outer side surface of the second part of the segmented lid structure and the outer side surface of the fourth part of the segmented lid structure engages the outer side surface of the first part of the segmented lid structure. In this position, the segmented lid structure no longer blocks access to the interior area of the tray structure.
In one aspect of this embodiment of the invention, the third part of the segmented lid structure can pivot approximately 270 degrees in a first direction along an axis of rotation relative to the second part of the segmented lid structure while the fourth part of the segmented lid structure can pivot approximately 180 degrees in the first direction along the axis of rotation relative to the third part of the segmented lid structure. In this aspect, when moving from the first position to the second position, the third part of the segmented lid structure pivots approximately 270 degrees (relative to the second part of the segmented lid structure) in the first direction and the fourth part of the segmented lid structure pivots approximately an additional 90 degrees (relative to the third part of the segmented lid structure) in the first direction along the axis of rotation.
In an alternate aspect of this embodiment of the invention, the second part of the segmented lid structure is generally orthogonal to the first part of the segmented lid structure, the third part of the segmented lid structure is generally orthogonal to the second part of the segmented lid structure and generally parallel with the first part of the segmented lid structure and the fourth part of the segmented lid structure is generally planar to the third part of the segmented lid structure when the segmented lid structure is in the first position. Conversely, in the second position, the third part of the segmented lid structure is generally parallel to the second part of the segmented lid structure and generally orthogonal to the first part of the segmented lid structure while the fourth part of the segmented lid structure is generally orthogonal to the second and third parts of the segmented lid structure and generally parallel to the first part of the segmented lid structure.
In a further aspect of this alternate aspect of the invention, the jewelry box further comprises an insert received within the interior space of the tray structure and supportably mounted by the inner side surface of the bottom wall. In another, the structured lid member further comprises a fifth part hingedly attached to the fourth part. When the segmented lid structure is in the first position, the fifth part of the segmented lid structure is generally orthogonal to the fourth part of the segmented lid structure. Conversely, when the segmented lid structure is in the second position, the fifth part of the segmented lid structure is generally planar with the fourth part of the segmented lid structure. Alternately, the fifth part of the segmented lid structure is capable of pivoting, in a first direction along an axis of rotation, approximately 270 degrees relative to the fourth part of the segmented lid structure and, in a second direction along the axis of rotation, approximately 90 degrees relative to the fourth part of the segmented lid structure. Alternately again, in the first position, the fifth part of the segmented lid structure is generally orthogonal to the fourth part of the segmented lid structure and is insertably received in a slot between the insert and the inner side surface of the front wall to secure the segmented lid structure in the first position. Conversely, in the second position, the fifth part of the segmented lid structure is generally planar with the fourth part of the segmented lid structure. In pivoting from the first position to the second position, the fifth part of the segmented lid structure pivots 90 degrees relative to the fourth part of the segmented lid structure.
In still further aspects of this alternate aspect of the invention, the jewelry box further includes a sheath attached to the inner side surface of the third part of the segmented lid structure, at least one character imprinted on the inner side surface of the fifth part of the segmented lid structure and/or at least one character imprinted on the outer side surface of the fourth part of the segmented lid structure.